Tuesday, May 23, 2006

fisher price central

both big daddy and I are not big on clutter.in fact we are a bit obsessive about it.our friends think we are organization freaks.fine by us.so when we had a baby (or more accurately when I had the baby) we vowed not to let it become fisher price central in the house.I bought matching brown woven baskets and placed them strategically throughout the house for toys.we kept the amount of toys we bought to a minimum and good children's books to a maximum.we spent hours at masterminds on yonge st. trying to find great educational (yet aesthetically pleasing) toys for a one year old.there are no playpens, or big plastic thingies everywhere.even the highchair is plain white.it's very calming.for weekly doses of primary colours and plastic we take lulu to gymboree. I really think kids can be overly stimulated by so much choice. It probably sounds nuts. but so far it is working.she has such a calm disposition.my parents recently bought her a fairly large plastic car, and plastic wheelbarrow.they had odd smirks on their faces when they handed them to me....anyhow, she likes the stuff, but doesn't love it.she's not big on noisy toys either.yesterday she actually put her hands over her ears when the "wheels on the bus" song started playing on her electronic leapfrog bus. I swear the volume control does not go low enough.anyhow, maybe we have rubbed off on her.when she is sitting quietly looking a a book, or stacking her pastel coloured wooden blocks from Kolkid, I couldn't be more proud.

7 comments:

That's such an accomplishment!! My husband's side of the family are loud loud and loud, they give me a headache, your post is exactly what I'm trying to achieve at home but when one parent agrees and the other side doesn't it makes it tough!!!!!Good for both of you!!!

Wow. I am not alone. My husband is a fussy art director and can't tolerate clutter. My son is almost 5 and he has lots of toys and books, they just all have "homes" so when he is asleep it doesn't look like Toys R Us exploded in our house. I think you have a point about over stimulation. But I have to admit, I thought he was a bit freakish before but feel much better after reading this :)

Let kids be kids for crying out loud!!!! I have two children (3 and 1) and both are very well behaved children...they aren't loud (compared to other children their ages), they aren't shy, they help clean up, but they are KIDS!!!!! Kids should get messy...should experiement, explore...how else will they learn?????? Please don't tell me you are one of these parents who won't let your child get dirty? My kids EARN their baths (and they get two a day).

oh how I love bitchy "anonymous" (aka) "no balls" posts.is there something wrong with not letting your children completely take over your home?Hey, I have friends that let their kids stuff go everywhere and the kids are dishevelled and usually mismatched and often kinda dirty..good for them! I don't judge.But I'm not like that. I wasn't raised that way. neither was my husband. my daughter is incredibly happy and well adjusted, she has lots of variety to chose from and has fun getting messy and "experimenting" especially with a spoon and sweet potatoes.. but she is also learning how to put away her toys.she is clean as well. Imagine that?!gee i didn't know having an organized home and happy and healthy child was a crime.I think "anonymous" that you should stop sending mean and judgemental posts and go pick up some toys, or give your kids another bath...sheesh.

I'm glad you 'love bitchy "anonymous" (aka) "no balls" posts' because you sure are a bitchy anonymous (aka) "no balls" blogger. My kids haven't "taken over my home", but it IS their home too. And thanks for your unecessary advice to "go pick up some toys"...our home was recently featured in a Canadian magazine...the cover shot included the children and their stuff...oh and they didn't appear "dishellved and mismatched". Imagine that?

is there a particular reason why you feel the need to be unnecessarily unkind and aggressive?my blogs are far from bitchy.and if you don't like them, don't read them.F.Y.I. my home has been featured in several magazines and believe me, that does not impress me at all.I wasn't implying that "your kids" are dishevelled etc. you obviously missed my point. I was saying that I could care less how other people care for their homes & kids.I hope you don't dish out advice in person the way you do on blogs, because you may have a hard time finding any mothers who actually would want to speak to you.I also hope you don't teach your children to be so rude and judgemental.My post was merely pointing out how we try not to have too many toys all over the house, and that kids don't really need a whole bunch of plastic commercial crap to be happy.Books, well made good quality toys, and sometimes the simplest things (i.e.. Tupperware filled with macaroni) are often the most fun for kids.hey if you want to fill your place with fisher-price go for it.That's your business.but why be so opinionated and nasty?do you have a blog? and if so, how would you like someone telling you how to run your life?

Smart kid. We get plastic toys as gifts and let the kids play with them for a little while then hand them off to someone else. Well that is what we usually do. We have gotten lazy and now we need to do a serious purge. I hate electronic toys that just make a bunch of noise and there is no way to turn them off.